I think there is a genetic component, but it's only a component (part of the story, not the whole story).

My brother and I are adopted (and not related) and our weight patterns are very different than each others and very different than our parents and siblings. Of our two sisters (my parents' biological children) one follows the weight pattern of our mother and one follows the weight pattern of our father.

I'm the only person in the family (immediate or extended) to have been overweight as a child or before their mid to late 20's. I was severely overweight in kindergarten, and morbidly obese by puberty (225 lbs at 12 years old).

Even of the family members who were obese as older adults, no one in the family ever came within 120 lbs of my highest weight.

It does make me wonder what the weight/eating patterns of my bio-parents were.

Of those of us with sugar/carb issues, I don't think it matters why or how we got them. We're stuck with it, and have to work around it.

I'm just really glad I discovered the carb connection, because limiting and restricting carbs makes weight loss and my life so much easier. We're a carb-flooded culture, so it's not always easy to maintain the carb level that's best for me, but knowledge is power. I now know a way to keep my hunger in check and lose weight without feeling half-starved and deprived.

Originally Posted by kaplods:
Of those of us with sugar/carb issues, I don't think it matters why or how we got them. We're stuck with it, and have to work around it.

I'm just really glad I discovered the carb connection, because limiting and restricting carbs makes weight loss and my life so much easier. We're a carb-flooded culture, so it's not always easy to maintain the carb level that's best for me, but knowledge is power. I now know a way to keep my hunger in check and lose weight without feeling half-starved and deprived.

Kaplods, you stated something I think as well. Some of us are more carb/insulin/sugar sensistive than others. There is some evidence to suggest a prenatal link. But the hand is dealt. I am estatic to have a way of maintaining my weight while enjoying food and not feeling starved or deprived of energy. It is a work in progress to be sure, but a work worth doing.

Originally Posted by jennylou:
Our society is a formula society. Guess what one of the big ingredients in formula is? Corn Syrup. And babies are supposed to be primarily nourished by breastmilk or formula for their first year of life. If people are even a tiny bit predisposed to having problems with sugar, it seems to me that formula is a major start to it. There are tons of studies that link to formula increasing the risk of obesity.

This was not the case for the formula my son used (because I didn't produce enough milk for him). It was a milk-based formula. There are some types that do use corn syrup but it's not universal at all, and not the case for most, if not all, milk-based formulas.

And fwiw, as a formula-fed baby (some b-milk, but 100% formula by 6 months), my son was and remains underweight (he's almost 7).

And to go back to the original question, I absolutely believe that some people react differently to sugar, just like some people (alcoholics) react differently to alcohol, and that it's a chemical thing in your body.

ABSOLUTELY!

Reading your post was like reading something I'd have written myself.

I don't think we're born sugarholics any more than we can be born alcoholics. We do have to make conscious decisions that lead us down that road.

I do, however, think that some of us are genetically and/or environmentally prone to addiction itself. What that addiction is depends on a variety of factors, but in the end the specifics don't matter anyway. By definition, being addicted to anything eventually poses risks to our health, takes over our thoughts and emotions, and interferes with our lives.

Sugar affects the same chemicals in our brain as amphetamines. Some people can do cocaine once or twice and never think about it again, some people get hooked first shot.

Losing weight is not a problem for me. Relapse is. I have come to the realization that I will always have to be on guard, and that I can't open that box of doughnuts and have just a piece of one without some extreme and purposeful direction and control of myself.

Once I have that piece, it is impossible for me to forget it. It will be the center of my thoughts, literally an obsession, until they are gone. I will make myself sick, physically ill, and still want another damned doughnut.

I think that a food addiction can in fact be worse than drugs or alcohol. You don't have to have crack or whiskey to live, so you can make a conscious decision to just stay away from it. You can make choices that will ensure you and the source of your addiction never cross paths again. You can't do that with food. We have to learn how to live with it as a part of our lives multiple times every day.

My son could not feed from the breast (he was born with a birth injury) and had severe acid reflux and threw up all my milk. He was on Enfamil's Soy formula and yes, the stuff's #1 ingredient is corn syrup solids. Awful, awful stuff, but was really my last resort at the time (donor milk is $3-4/ounce here and it's very hard to find a donor who follows an elimination diet).

I really hope it doesn't contribute to any obesity BUT I do know that statistically formula babies have a higher rate of adult obesity, it's unfortunate. However, I wonder if there is a distinction between those who use it out of necessity and those who choose it and if that affects the environment later in life.

I totally understand the OP. My mom is one of those people who is not big on sweets. She will buy a box of cookies, and eat maybe two a month, if that. It has caused family turmoil (when I still lived at home), because both my stepdad and myself and those people that if it is in the house we are GOING to eat it until it is GONE! Mom just does not understand it, because she does not have those cravings, and that mentality that if you have a little, you just keep going until it's gone.

My stepdad and I have tried explaining it to her, but she just doesn't understand. She is a smoker and has tried repeatedly to quit, but so far she has been unable. We have tried relating our drive to eat to her drive to smoke. She still doesn't get it. Case in point, she knows DH and I are trying really hard to work on our weight, and she pushes really hard for us to do so (but that is another post, lol). She came to our house recently for a visit and decided to make "healthy" cookies. Oatmeal, flax, walnuts...they really were about as healthy as cookies can get. Regardless, they are 3 WW points each and I just can't keep them in the house...I will binge. She was horribly offended that I was not more appreciative. She just does. not. get. it. :(

Thank you guys. I think there is something to that formula connection. A few points: my mom was a type I juvenile diabetic, the type children get and was insulin-dependent her entire life. (She passed away about 6 years ago.). They say babies of diabetic mothers are more suspectible to obesity and metabolic syndrome. I was a biggish baby, but not huge-ish; 9 lbs, 7 oz.

I was also on formula, I'm not sure why she didn't breast feed, I think it was a warning that her milk would make me sick or something, I'm not entirely sure. And, I think that may have helped, although when I was younger, I'm not sure HFCS was around, so I dunno what was in the formula at that time.
I think HFCS is only a 1990s and up phenomenon but I'm not sure.

Finally, obesity runs in my family, my maternal grandmother was morbidly obese as was my dad's half-brother. Oddly, my dad's father couldn't put any weight on and could eat whatever he wanted. There are times, though rare they may be, when his "genes" kick in and I can eat loads and actually lose weight, which always leaves me scratching my head. Unfortunately, these times are just flukes, but they have happened, so that's the only reason I believe the naturally thin underweight people who claim they eat and eat but can't gain weight. I wish this was my problem often, but honestly, it's hard when your metabolism goes into high gear, it's very tiring. Very, very rare that that happens to me though.

At any rate, there ya go, lol.

hello nurse~ you just described my mother, smoker and all.

i do think its genetic. my father is a food addict. so are me and my sister and the majority of my dads side of the family. my mothers, all sticks...
they found a gene that is associated with alcoholism, meaning alcoholics pass something on to their kids that causes an addictive behavior to alcohol.
i think its the same for sugar.

the annoying thing is people who dont suffer from a sugar/food addiction do not understand it. but it is no different that any other addiction. well maybe worse, bc one needs to eat, so several times a day you are in the face of your addiction, and have to make a choice to control it. i wonder if an alcoholic had to drink 5 servings of alcohol a day if hed be able to control it so well. i think there would be a lot of alcoholism, just like obesity.

i dont understand, how my mother living with the 3 of us who are all food addicts doesnt understand its a disease. i think though, environment is a big factor as well. my mother always hid everything from us. candy/cookies. she has a sweet tooth, but felt that she should be allowed bc she was thin (5'6, 125) and we were all fat and couldnt have any. i think psychologically she messed us up. i remember raiding my fathers coin drawer to collect enough for 25cent chips and 50cent candies. he always screamed at us where all his change was, haha...

i think everything in moderation. in my husbands family, junk wasnt a gift/treat or not allowed. but rather it was an occasional thing, like sundays they would go out for ice cream and so forth. so maybe if it was more moderated in my house we wouldnt have such issues with it? but then again, i dont think any of his family suffers from addiction to food.

im very perplexed, bc i have NO idea how to go about sweet/junk with my daughter when she gets older. whats allowed, how often. i know cutting it out completely is irrational. id rather her have a better treat like frozen yogurt, baked chips,home made fries or dark chocolate, rather than proccessed candy/chips and mcdonalds fries....but how to not mess her up? can i control and prevent her also becoming a food addict?

studies show breast fed babies have lower rates of obesity in adult life. of course enviroment adds to that. maybe the syrup in formula is a factor in this? jolting their insulin early on? im not sure. i know that i was breast fed and so was my sister. but we were also given additional foods very early on. and my mom sweetened beverages for us with glucose (teas for us etc). its hard to say if that is the cause of our obesity now.

Originally Posted by aggie2006:

i think everything in moderation. in my husbands family, junk wasnt a gift/treat or not allowed. but rather it was an occasional thing, like sundays they would go out for ice cream and so forth. so maybe if it was more moderated in my house we wouldnt have such issues with it?

I think THIS ^ ^ ^ is key, especially for those of us who are sugar addicts. I think I could do the "sunday outing" type of thing, and it would be OK and something to look forward to once a week, but it's crazy when going to an "ice cream parlor" (there's one just around the corner from my house... could walk there!) means $4.00 for two scoops, when you could buy a 1/2 gallon for that amount (or less.) So, for me, part of it is the money factor. Not just watching calories, but pennies as well!

The past couple of weeks, I have had Vanilla no-sugar-added (made with Splenda) ice cream (90 calories per 1/2 cup) and I cut up fresh strawberries to put in with it. This is part of my daily caloric value, & it is a nice yummy treat and a very good one, as far as a dessert type item goes. However, I STILL have to fight that urge to have MORE than a regular portion, or 2, 3, 4 servings. Still, I wish I could do this "only on Sundays" kinda way. But if it is in the house, then that's a "moo" point. You know, like a cow's opinion; it doesn't matter :rofl: (with a nod to Joey from Friends) :dizzy:

Also, from time to time, I will buy a Mr. Goodbar from the vending machine at work, and have half one day & the other half the next day. That's 125 calories for half a bar, PLUS, the goodness of peanuts - hey! Protein! - Yay! - also another pretty good "treat" but again... daily? I would like to get to a place in my life where I can have a treat once or twice a week & be OK with that, but I honestly don't think I can ever do that, so for me, it's either all or nothing. And while I have completely gotten off sugar twice in my dieting life, I'm not so sure that I want to completely give it up again. I mean, I know I'd certainly FEEL MUCH BETTER if I did, but doggone it! I just love it So.Very.MUCH! :devil:

Originally Posted by aggie2006:
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i think everything in moderation. in my husbands family, junk wasnt a gift/treat or not allowed. but rather it was an occasional thing, like sundays they would go out for ice cream and so forth. so maybe if it was more moderated in my house we wouldnt have such issues with it? but then again, i dont think any of his family suffers from addiction to food.

This is what it was like for me growing up and until I started eating in restaurants, drinking in college every night, there was never an issue with sugar or desserts. I still can easily pass on sugar and desserts. There was no emotional attachment (!) to sugar. Ice cream was in the freezer but it was no more interesting than the ramen noodles or vegetable.

On the other hand, I have noticed with obese friends, that their family dinners seemed to always include a dessert. Mine never did.

However, my sister is now morbidly obese and drinks 2-4 starbucks sugar frappe`s a day, amongst other things. I think you can start without a sugar addiction but if you succumb to constant sugar OUTSIDE the home, you can def. get addicted.